


Soul Sight

by SpicyRedPaladin



Series: Cegan One-Shots [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Color Blindness, Episode 7x01, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 18:10:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11560596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyRedPaladin/pseuds/SpicyRedPaladin
Summary: Carl had never paid much mind to the whole 'soul mate' deal.  He didn't know what made it so great. Yeah, you could see color. But what else? Well, maybe it was the whole 'someone to spend your life with' thing. But why would Carl want that in a world like this? In a world where you couldn't be guaranteed the next day, why would he want his short life to be shackled to another?





	Soul Sight

**Author's Note:**

> A present for Tumblr users @ticcraft and @at-least-cry-a-little based on @ticcraft's prompt.

Carl had never paid much mind to the whole 'soul mate' deal. He didn't know what made it so great. Yeah, you could see color. But what else? Well, maybe it was the whole 'someone to spend your life with' thing. But why would Carl want that in a world like this? In a world where you couldn't be guaranteed the next day, why would he want his short life to be shackled to another?

As he waited patiently among his gray-scale group, he thought of this again. If he was going to be the one Neagan stopped on, he was glad he had never found his soulmate. He winced as Abraham's blood splattered, adding another shade of gray to the mix. He watched with his single eye as Daryl lunged forward and was quickly restrained. And then as Glenn's head became the target of the tyrant before him. The madman was laughing. Laughing about what he was doing to his friends. A fleeting thought passed through Carl's muddled mind. Could this man see the color of the blood? Or was it still the same flat gray for him? The teen couldn't imagine someone like Negan having a soulmate. The man seemed to be evil incarnate.

The sadistic man looked at the terrified assembly. "Lucille is thirsty. She' a vampire bat!" Carl almost laughed at how bad the joke was. Almost. But he kept the sound in, for Maggie's sake. She and Glenn had been soul mates. They had a baby on the way. Glenn's last words had been directed at her. For a moment, Carl wondered if anyone would swear to find him. Other than the friends of people he'd killed.

Negan drug Rick away to talk alone, the engine of the RV starting after a few minutes. Everyone was baffled as it drove away, taking Carl's father with it. He thought of his little sister Judith. His mind came to soul mates again and he wondered if she and Maggie's baby were meant to be. Carl was beside himself with confusion. Why had he been thinking so much about this? Why was something he'd never even cared about the only thing he could think of? Could one of these people here be his soul mate? He glanced around quickly before quashing the idea. None of these people could be right. They were trying to kill his friends.

Finally, the RV came back. It was covered in blood, no doubt that of walkers. There was a long silence before Negan practically pushed Rick from the RV, dragging him back to the small group of survivors. He said something about changing the way Rick saw him, but nothing changing in his look. The man snapped at Carl, ordering him to lie down. He slowly did as he was told, glancing up at the beast before him.

That was when his whole perspective changed. The man knelt down and touched Carl's arm. Suddenly, both threw themselves back. Carl turned himself to the side and threw up as Negan stared in abject horror at the scene around them. Carl couldn't bring himself to open his eyes. He knew all he would see is that color. Everywhere.

Red on the ground, red on his clothes, red on his friends, red painting the whole side of the RV. And red tied around Negan's throat.

Rick dropped the axe and hurried to Carl's side, wrapping his arms around the boy. "Carl! Wha-" He couldn't finish, the boy launching himself from his father's arms with a scream, seeing the blood on his hands. He saw Negan rip the scarf from around his neck, throwing it to the ground and moving away. The two looked at each other for a long, silent moment. The woman Savior, Arat, was trying to ask Negan what was wrong, what had happened.

He didn't reply, staring straight at Carl. Straight at Carl's good eye. The teen felt as though he could stare directly into his soul. He took a slow, nervous step forward before shaking his head. "No.. ! No!"

Negan ran his hand through his hair, breathing shakily. "No fuckin' way.. No way this is how it happens..." Carl gulped. He couldn't agree more. Bile rose from his throat and he keeled over, throwing up again. Negan ordered his men to lower their guns and slowly walked over, taking special care to avoid the vomit and blood on the ground. He pulled Carl's hair away from his face as the boy heaved. "Kid, if I had known..."

Rick stared in horrified disbelief. "D-don't touch my son.. H-he has nothing you want..." Negan shook his head, staring at the boy's shaggy brown hair. "Apparently, he's everything I want.. Or at least what I need..."

Carl took a few shaky breaths and looked up at Negan, who took a bandanna from his jacket pocket and wiped the young man's face off. They stared at each other as the Survivors slowly moved together and the Saviors stared silently. Finally, Negan spoke.

"Well, soul mate. I guess we got a lot to talk about."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed. No I haven't forgotten Push Me to the Edge.


End file.
